Immanuel Ryan's Bloghttps://immanuelryan.wordpress.com
Je pense donc je suis. These are my thoughts, this is my existence.Sun, 04 Oct 2009 08:13:32 +0000enhourly1http://wordpress.com/https://s2.wp.com/i/buttonw-com.pngImmanuel Ryan's Bloghttps://immanuelryan.wordpress.com
Death of a Scalesmanhttps://immanuelryan.wordpress.com/2009/09/04/death-of-a-scalesman/
https://immanuelryan.wordpress.com/2009/09/04/death-of-a-scalesman/#respondFri, 04 Sep 2009 08:45:57 +0000http://immanuelryan.wordpress.com/?p=140]]>I killed a rattlesnake today. “Good job, it would have killed you first”. “If the children, or the pets had found it, there’s no telling what could’ve happened.” “Those suckers are everywhere, the only good rattler is a dead rattler”. That’s what they all say, but did I really do the right thing? Imagine with me for a moment that you belong to a species that has spent millions of years surving in the harshest of climates and environments, with no limbs or claws to ward off attackers or capture food. The only thing natural selection has gifted you with for your survival are two sharp teeth filled with a chemical solution that paralyzes food and enemies long enough to ingest them or escape. Because you belong to a cold blooded species, you have to constantly migrate to new locations to keep your body at the perfect equilibrium temperature, or you will surely die. Now, along comes another species whose claim to fame is an enlarged neocortex and the ability to make tools. These uncoordinated bi-peds begin building air conditioned, self-contained habitats in the middle of your desert home, where you have spent so much time naturally adapting to the blistering conditions. Underneath these newly constructed habitats one can find ample shade, as well as crisscrossing pipes which deliver water to every area of the bi-ped’s den. The shade and moist environment is a welcome relief in a barren hell that often provides little of either. Like a sojourning bedouin to a Saharan oasis, you make your way to the self-contained habitat along with many species of animals which serves as your food source. You feel no malice toward the bi-peds, nor do you have an affection for them. Their domiciles are merely a means to an end. You help them by regulating the population of small rodents, which they irrationally despise so much, while you do your best to avoid getting trampled on by there two, big clumsy pods. Naturally, if some breed of canine, feline or the bi-peds themselves came poking around with their claws and pointy tools you would have to defend yourself, as they are the larger and more dangerous species. You subsist in the dank, darkness underneath their homes and sometimes venture out to warm your cold, scaled body in the sun’s rays, only to return again to the darkness to find some furry rodent for dinner. Alas, on one fateful day, a day which appears like any other, one of the bi-peds discovers you warming yourself just outside the self-contained domicile. You want nothing to do with this fellow, so you try to retreat to the darkness, but he pins your body with one of his tools. You writher and writhe to escape, feeling desperation and hopelessness grow within you. The bi-peds are unpredictable and ruthless. The only action left available to you is to coil and attempt a defense with your only weapon, your venomous fangs. But before you have the opportunity to strike, a shiny, spade shaped tool descends with force upon your head and all is lost. You can see your body laying in front of you. Your torso wriggles, as if still trying to escape, and yet you are giving your body no commands to flee. As the blood spills from your neck and the oxygen escapes your brain, you can see the bi-ped standing over you, raising his shiny tool in triumph. He has vanquished the enemy of his child bi-peds and his domesticated canines. Never again will you be able to torment him from beneath, as he reposes in his climate-controlled habitat above. As he hoots and hollers, you can only think how nice it would be to bathe in the warmth of the sun’s rays one..last…ti….]]>https://immanuelryan.wordpress.com/2009/09/04/death-of-a-scalesman/feed/0immanuelryanrattlesnakeBi-ped with tool13 Healthy Habitshttps://immanuelryan.wordpress.com/2009/05/04/13-healthy-habits/
https://immanuelryan.wordpress.com/2009/05/04/13-healthy-habits/#commentsTue, 05 May 2009 05:59:03 +0000http://immanuelryan.wordpress.com/?p=56]]>

Healthy and Happy

I came across an interesting article posted on WebMD.com today. It’s titled 13 Healthy Habits to Improve Your Life and I thought I’d share the points here. I hope to put some of the ones I’m not doing yet into action.

1. Eat breakfast everyday: The American Heart Association says people who regularly eat breakfast are less likely to be obese and develop diabetes.

6. Floss once-a-day, brush twice-a-day: The bacteria that cause dental plaque can enter the blood stream through vessels in the teeth and cause plaque build up in the blood vessels. Plus, having a healthy smile makes you feel good about yourself.

7. Take up a hobby for pleasure: People who had a hobby before an operation showed better recoveries six-months afterwards.

8. Avoid too much sun exposure: Wear a minimum of SPF 15 when in the sun and avoid deliberate sunbathing.

9. Snack on fruits and vegetables: Chopped up carrots, low-fat yogurt and nuts make healthier snack options than potato chips and candy bars.

10. Drink alot of water and eat dairy: Water has a host of important health benefits such as keeping most vital organs running smoothly. Dairy strengthens teeth and bones and prevents kidney stones and high blood pressure.

]]>https://immanuelryan.wordpress.com/2009/05/04/13-healthy-habits/feed/1immanuelryanHealth For LifeHealthy appleFooting Ithttps://immanuelryan.wordpress.com/2009/05/03/46/
https://immanuelryan.wordpress.com/2009/05/03/46/#commentsMon, 04 May 2009 01:59:02 +0000http://immanuelryan.wordpress.com/?p=46]]>Today, I went for a run around the track at ASU. I love running when I get around to it. Last summer I ran every morning at 6:00 a.m. and I felt great all summer. When school begins, with its accompanying deadlines, the time crunch can become overwhelming and the precious moments that should be spent enjoying a good run can easily be commandeered by tyrannical homework assignments. Now that summer is on the horizon, I look forward to spending more time experiencing the joy of running. I was wondering today at what point in our history running became a human past time rather than a necessity for catching food or delivering an urgent message. Children run for pleasure from the time they can move their legs fast enough to participate in a game of tag. Think about the basic rhythm of music. Where did we get 4/4 time from? When I run I breath in and out with my steps: “Breathe in 1, 2” “Breathe out 3, 4” “In 1, 2” “Out 3, 4” “1, 2, 3, 4” “1, 2, 3, 4”. To run is to feel the natural rhythm of our existence. Get out and run today and feel the beat!]]>https://immanuelryan.wordpress.com/2009/05/03/46/feed/2immanuelryanRunning the raceA night at the theaterhttps://immanuelryan.wordpress.com/2009/05/02/to-the-victor-go-the-spoils-a-night-at-the-theater/
https://immanuelryan.wordpress.com/2009/05/02/to-the-victor-go-the-spoils-a-night-at-the-theater/#commentsSun, 03 May 2009 05:09:11 +0000http://immanuelryan.wordpress.com/?p=33]]>

The stage of life

Well, I did it. I managed to write the dreaded marketing paper and because I did I was able to celebrate my accomplishment by going out with some friends to see a one man play at the university. It was an interesting production for me to watch because the protagonist used his time on stage to tell his life story in well-acted, dramatic fashion, but the whole time, in my mind I thought, “that could be me!” You see, I began my college career as a theater major. NO, it’s true! Immanuel Ryan, the business major, once found his worth by telling stories on a stage. At some point between then and now a little bit of that dream died and I don’t regret the path I’ve chosen. I don’t regret getting a “responsible” degree or learning life skills like financial planning, working on team projects, and critical analysis in the business school. But there’s still a part of me that wants to tell a story to a captive audience. Part of me that wants to pretend to be other characters, talk in funny accents, and be able to speak witty, unhesitant sentences that have been scripted for me. But a famous actor once said that the more you love yourself off of the stage, the less you want to pretend to be others on it, and maybe that’s true. Or maybe it’s balderdash and I need to go pursue my dreams.

]]>https://immanuelryan.wordpress.com/2009/05/02/to-the-victor-go-the-spoils-a-night-at-the-theater/feed/2immanuelryanThe stage of lifeHomework Headacheshttps://immanuelryan.wordpress.com/2009/05/02/homework-headaches/
https://immanuelryan.wordpress.com/2009/05/02/homework-headaches/#respondSat, 02 May 2009 22:59:47 +0000http://immanuelryan.wordpress.com/?p=30]]>As I approach the penultimate week of 16 years of school I have a couple of homework assignments to turn in and I don’t know how I’m going to make it. When I stare at the computer screen to type a paper about marketing strategies to improve the city of Phoenix light rail project my eyes blur and butterflies rapidly spawn and flutter about in my stomach searching for an exit, probably my belly button. I’ve always been a bit of a perfectionist and since I know this is the final paper of my college career I want it to be my best work, but that thought adds more stress to an already complex project. I’m just going to buckle down and get it done. Besides, once the paper is behind me I can begin looking to a future that doesn’t include homework assignments! That thought is a bit depressing though because there have been so many assignments from school over the last 16 years that have really been a blast to work on: the 5th grade science project on tornadoes, the high school paper I wrote comparing the characters in George Orwell’s Animal Farm to modern celebrities, my college thesis detailing a strategy for opening my own restaurant, etc. I know that the future will not be without projects and deadlines though. In fact, I already have deadlines for turning in information for my future internship with a Christian organization. Maybe the headaches of deadlines and assignments will never go away but they can be diminished through proper planning and organization and having a positive mindset.]]>https://immanuelryan.wordpress.com/2009/05/02/homework-headaches/feed/0immanuelryanMy head hurtsGraduation Approacheshttps://immanuelryan.wordpress.com/2009/05/01/graduation-approaches/
https://immanuelryan.wordpress.com/2009/05/01/graduation-approaches/#commentsSat, 02 May 2009 02:20:57 +0000http://immanuelryan.wordpress.com/?p=17]]>On May 13th, President Barrack Obama will stand on the field of Sun Devil Stadium and send 8,000 ASU graduates, myself included, into the great unknown with what will be, I’m assuming, a flourish of grandiose rhetoric. 60,000 people will be in attendance, including my parents and grand-parents rooting me on to further success in life. Does it get any sweeter than this?]]>https://immanuelryan.wordpress.com/2009/05/01/graduation-approaches/feed/6immanuelryanPresident Barrack ObamaSo it’s come to this…https://immanuelryan.wordpress.com/2009/05/01/so-its-come-to-this/
https://immanuelryan.wordpress.com/2009/05/01/so-its-come-to-this/#respondSat, 02 May 2009 02:10:33 +0000http://immanuelryan.wordpress.com/?p=11]]>Here I am, in the blogosphere! I can see my house from here!]]>https://immanuelryan.wordpress.com/2009/05/01/so-its-come-to-this/feed/0immanuelryan